The high price of the subscriptions, which were reported as the country reels from weeks of devastating storms that have caused millions in damage, generated headlines and prompted criticism of the prime minister.
“Deep down, the real problem is this: those who manage state funds — which are paid for by all of us taxpayers — rarely feel the cost of what they spend,” wrote CNN columnist Filipe Santos Costa. “They don’t perceive it as money belonging to the entire community, but as a sum that miraculously exists in the coffers … And this government has been spending a lot!”
The general secretariat of the government — the bureaucratic body tasked with coordinating administrative support for Portugal’s executive, and which negotiated the contract — initially downplayed the revelations by pointing out that the state has been paying for eight premium Sport TV subscriptions since 2017, under a plan approved when António Costa — the current president of the European Council — was prime minister.
But the price for the service — which includes broadcasts of all Primeira Liga, Europa League and Champions League matches — has increased substantially since then. Whereas the government spent €1,170 per year on the subscriptions last year, the latest contract bound it to pay €7,023 to access the same content in 2026.
Montenegro, a well-known supporter of the FC Porto soccer team, on Wednesday ordered the television contract be renegotiated. In a statement, the general secretariat confirmed that the state had reduced the monthly cost for the service from €585 to €146, or around €5,000 in total through 2028.
In practice, that means the government will now have access to only two subscriptions — one in the prime minister’s residence and one in the parliament.